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Bird Box  By  cover art

Bird Box

By: Josh Malerman
Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
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Interview: Listen in as Josh Malerman talks about the evolution of his intense 2014 debut novel, 'Bird Box,' what it's like to have his work adapted -- first for audio and then for the screen, and watching it hit the zeitgeist more than a decade after he first wrote it.

I feel like [narrator Cassandra Campbell] pulled that off, where it was a similar steady, steady building mood the whole way...I think she was absolutely perfect for it.
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  • Bird Box
  • I feel like [narrator Cassandra Campbell] pulled that off, where it was a similar steady, steady building mood the whole way...I think she was absolutely perfect for it.

Editorial reviews

Editors Select, May 2014 - After finishing this novel, there is one thing I 100% regret – and that was starting it around 10 pm on a weeknight. This chilling debut is so well-written, and so suspenseful I had a very difficult time putting it down. The book is told from the point of view of Malorie, a young mother who is fleeing to safety with her two young children. She doesn’t know from whom or what she’s fleeing, but does know that just one glimpse will drive a person mad. The story seamlessly jumps from past to present as we slowly uncover just what has left the world in complete darkness. Bird Box is the quintessential page-turner and I’ll be eagerly waiting for Josh Malerman’s next work. –Laura, Audible Editor

Publisher's summary

Something is out there....

Something terrifying that must not be seen. One glimpse and a person is driven to deadly violence. No one knows what it is or where it came from.

Five years after it began, a handful of scattered survivors remain, including Malorie and her two young children. Living in an abandoned house near the river, Malorie has long dreamed of fleeing to a place where her family might be safe. But the journey ahead will be terrifying: 20 miles downriver in a rowboat blindfolded with nothing to rely on but Malorie's wits and the children's trained ears. One wrong choice and they will die. And something is following them. But is it man, animal, or monster?

Engulfed in darkness, surrounded by sounds both familiar and frightening, Malorie embarks on a harrowing odyssey - a trip that takes her into an unseen world and back into the past, to the companions who once saved her. Under the guidance of the stalwart Tom, a motley group of strangers banded together against the unseen terror, creating order from the chaos. But when supplies ran low, they were forced to venture outside and confront the ultimate question: In a world gone mad, who can really be trusted?

Interweaving past and present, Josh Malerman's breathtaking debut is a horrific and gripping snapshot of a world unraveled that will have you racing to the final page.

©2014 Josh Malerman (P)2014 HarperCollinsPublishers

Featured Article: Hit the Open Highway with the 40+ Best Road Trip Listens for Your Next Journey


It takes more than great storytelling to be the right fit for each type of road trip. What works for a cross-country adventure may not be quite right for a quick day trip. What you listen to with your significant other may not be (read: is definitely not) the same as what you listen to with a carload of kids. And when driving solo, sometimes what you want is a little company. No matter what kind of journey you have coming up, we’ve got you covered.

What listeners say about Bird Box

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Wow

Wow such a wonderful book and the narrator does a wonderful wonderful job!!!!! Fully recommend. I haven’t watched the new movie yet because I was hearing mixed things but this book is so well written. And scary I loved it!!!!!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Couldn't stop listening

overall: highly recommended to anyone looking for a rewarding slow burn. lots of description, almost ad nauseam. but that contributes nicely to the suspense.

don't expect to fall in love with the characters, even the protagonist. do expect to be drawn completely into a suspense- thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

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Holy profanity

So so fun. Just what I was hoping for for a Halloween read. Great story, wonderfully written and performed, VERY intense, and deeply satisfying.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wow! Wowowow!

This is the maternal rebuttal to Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize winning post apocalypse from The Road. Every bit as hopeful, tragic and awe inspiring. Malerman trades the near biblical prose of McCarthy for a contemporary prophecy sure to cost the reader a few restful night.
As for the performance, I must say I typically don't like female narrators. As atrocious as men voicing women can be, the alternative is often worse. And yet, Cassandra Campbell delivers every biting line with a the same tamped down anxiety experienced by Mallory, the unequivocal heroine of Bird Box, and perhaps, this decade of horror!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Kept me on the edge of my seat until the end

Engaging book that keeps you listening. I was a little disappointed in the end and the lack of explanation of some of what is going on but overall the book kept me wanting to hear more.

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  • TD
  • 09-14-20

Imagine this

Once you got into the story, you had to know what happened. I wished more insight as to what happened when Gary came back. I mean, I know we are supposed to use our imagination and understand what we have just heard.

Any way, good book, interesting concept and frightening to imagine in depth.

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Spooky

This book does a great job of making you scared of something without even describing it. Thrilling and exciting.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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spoiler-ish

I was excited the whole read through and couldn't wait to get to the end, only to be disappointed. I'm not a fan of leaving mysteries up to be interpreted; I think it's lazy writing.

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Suspenseful

This book was so intriguing and creepy! Just what I needed. It makes it so much more 'on the edge of your seat' if you listen to it at night when all the sounds make you glance behind you, making sure the 'creatures' aren't there. The thought of not being able to see anything makes it so much more scary. A great read and I'd suggest it to everyone.

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  • M
  • 07-31-17

Great book...

Great story overall, many interesting twists and turns. The narrator takes some getting used to, though.

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